Mission No 77

MISSION NO. 77
MONTEBARTIER, FRANCE

25 JUNE, 1944

The target was a buried oil dump in southern France, situated in the village of Montebartier on the banks of the Midi Canal, the connecting waterway between the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea. The 457th furnished all 36 craft for the 94th C Combat Wing. Major Leroy Watson was Air Commander with Lt. Dozier as pilot of the lead C box. Lt. Joseph Reilly was Commander of the low C box, with Lt. Harris S. Mathis as pilot. Lt. Max D. Peterson was Commander of the high C box with Captain Donald E. Lady as pilot.

Again the route to the target took the Group over the invasion coast. The weather was CAVU over the target and bombing results were good. Bombing was from 15,000 feet. Flak was moderate to heavy and accurate, with four craft suffering damage.

Lt. Scott B. Ormsby's plane was hit by a flak burst starting a fire in one engine. Four of his crew bailed out. However, he dropped his bombs in the Channel and returned to the Base. Lieutenants Edwin R. Stevens, SherriH R. Williams and Charles C. Canfield, all flying in the lead box, were hit in their engines and gas tanks and aborted the mission. Capt. Richard E. Hoelzer, flying in the low box, was hit and knocked out of the box, but returned to the Base.

(Compiler Note: For Li. Vincent A. Lemon account of bailing out over France, see Chapter 19.)

CREW LOADING LIST

June 25th, 1944
Mission No 77 Target: Montebartier

If you desire to see the original scanned loading lists, click on the respective blue squadron header below.
(If a very small image appears, click on the small image to enlarge.)

748th Squadron

749th Squadron

750th Squadron

751th Squadron

	A/C # 088		A/C # 051		A/C # 167		A/C # 556
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward A. Taylor Walter F. Creigh Harold W. Walbright Edward J. Colleran Elie R. Carrier Frank T. Winchester Herbert L. Webster Lewis H. Shane George S. Kamas	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Donald E. Lady Max E. Peterson Judson E. Krueger George D. Anderson David B. Jones Bernard L. Baker Marvin H. Sloan Walter F. Palmer Carl W. Ostlind Ross D. Pogue Allen D. Sheakley	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Edward B. Dozier LeRoy H. Watson Alexis P. Umoff Robert J. Burright Henry P. Loades Dwight H. Anderson John E. Misener Fredrick L. Exley Gerald E. Poston Frank L. Ridenhour E. A. McNeal	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John E. Grimes Robert L. Cole Arthur N. Hoffman Thomas W. Lyles Alfred E. Calhoon Donald W. Blackwell Carl A. Robbie George T. Gulywasz Leroy E. Heibert

	A/C # 118		A/C # 948		A/C # 606		A/C # 827
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	David K. Summerville George Metzger Nicholas V. Seidita Morris F. Swerdlove Daniel A. Malcolm Dozier T. Prothro Leo E. Flagg Clayton T. Dayhoff Barnett Feldman	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jonathan M. Herbold Milton E. Durham Theodore J. Mellow Patrick A. Walls Elihue R. Mayo Robert L. Grimes Richard R. Hazelhurst Johnny Miller William C. Cain	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harry J. Huskey Clyde S. Jolley Fred W. Roberts Howard A. Handran Harry C. Lake James A. Martin Patsy Varrassi James A. Martin Alfred Beacom Kenneth E. Davidson	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Albert L. Sikkenga John B. Folsom Harry E. Will John G. Mackie Wilfred G. Baumgartner James H. Lee James W. Walton Joseph A. Toth Fernando P. G. Biancalana

	A/C # 899		A/C # 111		A/C # 694		A/C # 115
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert H. Magill Richard J. Cotter David C. Watts William A. O'Connor Norman Hirsch Floyd T. Stitely Charles Minter Herve J. Paquin Harold R. Moore	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Douglas L. Deal Lentz M. Lackey Roy I. Vaughn John M. Traylor Paul E. Miller Edward F. Morgan Cedric N. Priest George W. Emerson Donald D. Brunsvold	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Norman W. Breit Tracy E. Geiger Bert H. Lindstrom Charles J. Hrubos Terence T. Camp Rubin L. Hernandez Melvin R. Smalley William H. Sokolowski William F. Radford	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Norman A. Erbe Robert J. Shaffer Winifred R. Stortz Russell H. Auten Richard H. Cochrane James M. Kirkland Wayne A. Taylor William L. Egri Paul Frank

	A/C # Weather Ship		A/C # 034		A/C # 063		A/C # 456
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Bernard V. Connor Jesse L. Smith Robert Jackson Edward J. Brazinski	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jerome A. Sobjek Edward W. Lynch William R. Kabine George A. Knapp Daniel J. Howard, Jr. Kenneth E. Hixson Jerome Petrizzi Joseph Matkowsky Ray V. Rose	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward R. Stevens Charles W. Johns Charles J. Canty Charles L. Hilton Stewart C. Moody Joseph W. LaBonte James H. Neelan James C. Baum James H. Bryant	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward L. Cavanaugh John G. Hossack Naoman M. Franz Anthony Kulczucki Miles L. McQueen Glen A. Jackson Daniel D. Elieff Bernard J. Geraghty Thomas E. Gougarty

	A/C # 973		A/C # 574		A/C # 064		A/C # 532
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jack W. Gazzale James R. Phillips Fred M. Oglesby Ralph R. Hipsman Burton Chenkin Willard L. Becker Everett Broadie Robert F. Ehlert Robert L. Broadie	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Paul W. Gilbert Richard G. Palmer Andrew Brown, Jr James V. Duffy David C. Foltz Raymond Conway Richard D. Wright Robert V. Moore Charles H. Borland	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Scott L. Williams P. B. Adrean John W. Tadje Delos E. Bown Joseph Deluccia Anthony Collura Kenneth L. Gordier Paul H. Beisswanger Glen M. Rogers	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Richard E. Hoelzer Milton M. Jaraslow Bert Graham Houston L. Levers Charles T. Darnell William C. Brown Louis F. Beske Donald J. Lighthizer Charles L. Campbell

	A/C # 470		A/C # 164		A/C #11?		A/C # 383
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Gerald L. Kerr Arthur H. Lindskoog Edward A. Schilling Melvin L. Levine Leon Finneran Ernest J. Hegedus Harold E. Ahlfors Samuel P. Younger Robert E. Killion	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Stanley E. Kleiner Alfred H. Thoman William J. Morrow John b. Bomba Andrew G. Voytko Leo J. Kwiatkowski James E. Haddock Rene V. Gabriel Lloyd C. Holdredge	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert L. Kaufman R. C. Burkholder B. M. Plaut D. J. Letizia W. G. Antoine M. J. Smuynski Sanford J. Cadwell Edwin M. Sinclair Rudolph J. Buczak	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Wendell A. Price Robert C. Cook Eldon J. Foster Harry H. Whitaker Carroll C. Johnson Lester L. Tyndall Edward J. McHale Lynn W. Rice George K. Raymond

	A/C # 131		A/C # 079		A/C # 587		A/C # 552
p cp n b tt ro bt Lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert E. Brofft Norris H. Gerber Reynold J. Kohmetscher Robert I. Braun Lyle E. Thrall Abraham H. Feller James B. Toney William L. Black Rex W. Burke Earl S. West	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Marsden W. Mattatall Dale S. Jeffers Leo B. Bunker Marshall H. Hoyt Joseph Waszkierscz Axel R. Olson Murrell N. Tobian Ben H. Collinsworth Gordon D. Hobson	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles C. Canfield Clarence E. Ross Donald H. Snyder Thomas N. Norton Morgan J. Newman Alvin E. Merriam Herbert P. Barte Hyman Kalb	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jack B. Owens Donald E. Brandvold Francis A. Minturn Earl A. Markwalder Phillip M. Murillo Theodore C. Roland R. C. Zeagler John D. Ward Enos C. Bleacher

	A/C # 934		A/C # 060		A/C # 733		A/C # 026
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Harris S. Mathis Joseph F. Reilly Charles S. Tripp John A. Richardson Rex B. Crawford Donald E. Cook Mark A. Osborne Morris R. Walker Ralph R. Garrison Clement H. Marsden	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward Kozel Alvie J. Phares Selig Ratchick Carl F. Atlimus Robert E. Nichols Jacob L. Alpert Thomas D. Dalrymple Dwight F. Swanson William H. Koester	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Scott B. Ormsby Fred D. Stallings Vincent A. Lemon Arthur R. Mendenhall Fred F. Castle Jay L. Saulsburry Gordon J. Neely Alvin J. Hendryx Ray F. Jones	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Benjamin J. Deloach Gerald W. Esser Emil F. Galliessch Vernon H. Hawbaker Harry B. Bartholomew Raymond C. Batliner Warren G. Hummer Luster B. Mills James E. Doerr

	A/C # 954		A/C #		A/C # 884		A/C # 630
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James E. Sherrod Gordon C. Esch Rolland L. Boyle George R. Walker Frank T. Aylstock Wayne C. Rapp James M. Perrin Leo J. Gawroniak Joe L. Steele	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Morris H. Shuff William E. Thompson Lee C. Mohn Alexander R. McDermott Joseph Garbett Thomas G. Scott Wallace C. Nicholson Leonard A. Smith Wallace D. Cagle	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William K. Doherty Donald K. Goss C. H. Sullivan Russell L. Scott Ancil U. Shepherd William H. Trusselle Melvin R. Bernhardt Franklin Don John H. Graves	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James J. Parks Charles E. Berta Albert M. Durrett Oreste Procopio James F. Lynch John H. Wiktorowic James H.l VanAckeren Robert E. Walters Charles L. Bickers

	A/C # 558		A/C #		A/C #		A/C # 021
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Cornelius R. Woolf Kinney Hellums Zaven R. Astor Gerard J. Hyink John L. Batts Alden B. Orr Samuel I. Craft, Jr Norman C. Bonney Ernest R. Campen	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James J. Vizanko Richard E. Long Angelo A. Archiopolio Thomas E. Battley Willis E. Moore Joseph L. Mast Julian J. Rodakowski Alton T. Eason Constantine Nicholas

	A/C # 955		A/C #		A/C #		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Adrian W. Seabock Lloyd. E. Icenogle Julius Benerofsky Louis M. Castelucci Lloyd E. Larson Leonard C. Comstock Herbert W. Shaurette Francis F. Friedel Francis E. Cornue	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt

	A/C # 706		A/C #		A/C #		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt leg lrwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William H. Crawford Benjamin Gryncewicz Glen S. Thornton Michael E. Baron Roy C. Schild Harold D. Harris Lowell E. Jones Milton C. Tieman Walter K. Marsh Stephen Kokayko	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C #		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt